Pilgrims headed to Sabarimala temple in Kerala will now be allowed to carry 'flammable' coconuts in the cabin baggage of flights. Under existing norms, coconuts are not permitted in the cabin baggage on the grounds that they are a flammable substance.
However, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has allowed pilgrims to do so for the coming two-month-long Sabarimala pilgrimage season till January 20, 2025, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said.
The two-month-long Sabarimala pilgrimage season will start in mid-November. The permission extended by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to pilgrims is for a limited period, and the order will be in effect until January 20, 2025.
Naidu said that to facilitate the ease of travel for Sabarimala pilgrims, an exemption has been given for "carrying coconuts in 'Irumudi' as cabin baggage during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage period".
Coconuts will be allowed to be carried in the cabin only after all necessary security checks are in place, including X-ray, ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) and physical checks.
Sabarimala Pilgrimage
The Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala will open for the two-month-long pilgrimage season in mid-November and the pilgrimage season will go on till late January. Lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine every year and the majority of them carry 'Irumudi Kettu' (the sacred bag containing offerings, including coconut filled with ghee, to the Lord).
Generally, those undertaking the pilgrimage to Sabarimala prepare and pack 'Irumudi Kettu' as part of the 'Kettunirakal' ritual. During the ritual, ghee is filled inside a coconut, which is then kept in the bag along with other offerings. The bag would also have a few ordinary coconuts to be broken at various holy spots during the pilgrimage.
Only those pilgrims who carry the 'Irumudi Kettu' on their heads are allowed to climb the 18 sacred steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Those not carrying it have to take a different passage to reach the sanctum sanctorum.